Collapsible stereoscope



oct 5, 1954 F. E. DAscH 2,690,698

coLLAPsIBLE sTEREoscoPE Filed June 16, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 5, 1954 F. E. DAscH 2,699,698

COLLAPSIBLE STEREOSCOPE Filed June 16, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H TTOPNEXS..

Patented Oct. 5, 1954 'COLLAPSIBLE STE-REOSCOPE FranlrV E. Dasch, Indianapolis, Ind.

' Application June 16,v 1952; `SeriabNo.` V293,727

p itsat packaging permitsvit tobesreadily mailed.

.In;accordance with the invention, .a stereoscope has a suitably formed casing blankfwhich may k bebentaround and interlocked with 'the internal structure upon assembly, and internal lstructure comprising a plurality of :walls hinged to oppoplates lie fiat against each other `and against the i housing `member,v and maybe: secured to` a at. support for `insertion ina nat. envelope. .The

wa1ls, plates, and, housing may be made .of4 cardboard or other suitable stii sheet material.

'I'he accompanying drawings iillustrate,.the-in vention. In such .drawings,f1lig. .,1 is a/topgplan View of la stereoscope -in collapsed conditionfa-nd mounted on aflat support; Eig..2 isa bottomfplan view of thefassemblyshown iii-Fig l, With-parts ofrthe support brokenaway;-1ig.-3fis an isometric l view'y of the assembledstereosoope with..aslidefi-n place; Fig. 4is an isometric Viewv of. a,slide suitable for 'use with thefstereoscope; Fig. `5 is.- an' iso- L metric view .of a partly assembledstereosco-pe in 1 inverted position; Fig. `6 is an isometric-view-of the inverted stereoscopein collapsed position; .and

Fig. 7 a longitudinal sectionfand Fig.. 8 .an isometricview of the assembled stereoscope :in ini verted position.

shown in the drawings, the. stereoscopecomprises a casing member I0 of, stifsheet material, suchas cardboardhaving-.a straightfcentral. Dortion l2, curved intermediateportions ;I-4.Which are scored internally to.facilitate.bending, .and straight end portions v.l 6. YAdjacent '.the ...iront edgeof the. center portion .I 2 .there is along narrow slot I8, and in each endedge thereis aishort notch 20, forl cooperationr with the` slide. as .will

appear. In each end-portionla `curvedcut. line provides an inwardly proj ecting. tab .22, .and .such tabs. are used `bo-thr for securing the collapsedassembly: to a `mailing* support ..24, .byinterengagel ment with punched Aopenings..2s in thesuppmft 24, .and for interlocking thestereoscopein'erected position, .aswill appear.

AThe internal structure .ofslthefstereoscopa best seen Eigs...5. and f7,f.'=may;fbe :madeiioi separate pieces. Preferably,qhowever,. aandrasshowngsit- Ais madev from .a single blank 'of sti sheet. material, such ;as :.cardboard, :cut .and scored .to'sprovideaa series :of partsseparatedby.scored fold zlinesiand in the following a order: a connecting plate @or spacer..28,xarear'walli, a base plate onspa'cer 32, ai frontrivall.- 34,- a spacingfplatez, iarrintermed-iate wall 38, and. a tab A0.

In erected assemblygther three -:wal1sf3,34.,.2and 38;;stand; substantial-ly -`at :right :angles :fto zthe plates 28..and 5321 .in i spaced parallel relationship with reach other. Thai-spacing .platexi36r -is :glued ort otherwiseisecured ...to ;the; connecting plate .22 8 adjacent; its front edgazandfthe'xtabe isfgzglued or Aotherwise secured'togtheibase plate32. v'Ilhis assembly issecuredato.thetcasing l!) with thezbase plater32 :lying: against vzthe centen-portion l 2 and glued or otherwise secured thereto. Thevwallf34 isaligned-with the front edge ;of` theaslot I,8,.;and the .base plate 32 .is-.provided 4with arcorresponding slot to pass a slide 50 into position against the Vback vface of thefront .Wal1f34. "Atzthe opposite ,edge of: the' front `wal1-34, lthe. spacing ,plate 36 4.and` its overlying connecting plate fimayibe provided` with a short `slot-42v to; pass an Aaligning tab-52.on..theslide 50.

The rear .-wallf.-30 has apairsof-'spaced-cireular openings to theedges ofwhichsare glued-or otherwise 'secured a vpairggof lenses 44, conveniently madeof molded transparent plastic material. The-ends `of the wa1130. projectvbeyond-ithe side edges of the-,plates 128 and.32fand are rounded, The .intermediatel` wall 38 has apair. offapertures 39, :conveniently rectangular 'in shape, .aligned with the lensesf44. Its =ends likewisepproject Ibeyond the edges v'of the Aplates-and are si-milarly rounded. The .front Wall 34 r also" has :ai pair of apertures.35, convenientlyv of rectangularshape, aligned with the apertures 39and'1theflenses44. The three walls 30,- 318,.-and.,34 .are progressively longerifrom the rear to theirontand the plates 42 :andi-28 are similarly wider fat .the-.front-,than at Athe rear. yThe connecting. plate- #28 has la pair offslotsf29 near its center randgenerally parallel wit-l1.its :diverging side edges, ,to-.interengagathe tabsf22when the casing isaSSembledar-oundthe internal rstructure.

In the collapsed positionof .the....interna1. assembly, the. three walls 30, 38, ..and34= are bent forwardly. .about .their .bottom hinge connections to .a ,.p osition .where lthey vlie .'.iiaty .against each other. and againstv .the .base .p-late..32 and. its underlying.centralportion -l 2 of..the casing. l0. With theinternalstructure in erected, position on the center portion I2 of the casing I0, the end portions I4 and I6 of the casing are bent around the curved ends of the walls to bring the ends I6 of the casing into overlying relationship against the connecting plate 28, and the tabs 22 are inserted in the' slots 29, to hold the casing in assembled position. When this is done, the slots 20 in the end edges of the casing come together in alignment with the short slot 42 at the front of the glued-together connecting plate 28 and spacing plate 36.

In the manufacture of the stereoscope, the blank for the internal structure may be folded through 180 on the fold line between the front wall 34 and the spacing plate 36 and on the fold line between the rear wall 44 and the base plate 32. This will bring the spacing plate 36 into proper registry with the front edge portion of the connecting plate 28, and properly position the tab 40 against the base plate 32, and these parts may be glued to the plates in this position. With the parts in this collapsed position, the lenses 45 may be glued to the edges of the openings in the rear wall 30, or otherwise secured in such openings, as by means of lugs formed on molded lenses. The collapsed internal structure may then be glued to the casing I0, and the whole assembly secured to the mailing support 24 by engagement of the tabs 22 with the openings 26 in that support.

For use, the assembly is detached from the mailing support 24, the internal structure is moved to erect position, with the walls hinging about their connections to the two plates 28 and 32, and the end portions of the casing are wrapped around the erected walls and locked in place by inter-engagement of the tabs 22 with the slots 29. The assembled stereoscope is then turned to upright position, with the center portion I2 of the casing uppermost, and the device is then ready to receive a slide 50 to be viewed.

The slide 50 consists of two layers of material, such as cardboard, provided with aligned apertures positioned to lie in alignment with the apertures of the stereoscope walls, and such two layers are glued together with transparencies 54 accurately positioned in the apertures between the two wall layers. The slide 50 is of a size to be received through the slot I8 in the casing portion I2--which is now the top wall of the stereoscope. The slide is desirably provided with a bottom tab 52 to enter the slot 42 and between the notches 20, to help locate the slide in proper position and focus. The slide desirably also has a top tab 56 by which it may be manipulated into and out of the holder formed by the slots I8 and 42. The slide is viewed by looking through the lenses with the stereoscope held toward the light.

The stereoscope is especially suited for distribution as a premium and for use as a toy by children. It is quite inexpensive to make, and its distribution is facilitated by the fact that it collapses and may be packed in a iiat envelope. When erected for use, the parts move into accurately aligned positions, and the device gives a good three-dimensional view of the slides.

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible stereoscope comprising three walls hinged at opposite edges to spaced plates and having rounded end portions projecting beyond said plates, a casing secured to one plate and having portions adapted to be wrapped around the plates and the ends of the walls and overlapping one of said plates, and means to secure the casing in place, said walls being provided with openings arranged in two spaced aligned series, lenses in the openings of one of said walls, said plate and casing members having slots to form a slide-holder in a plane parallel with said lens-containing wall and spaced therefrom.

2. A stereoscope, comprising a casing member, a plurality of walls supported at their edges for pivotal movement about parallel hinge-lines spaced transversely of said casing member, said walls having projecting ends and being progressively larger from the rear wall to the front wall, means interconnecting the opposite edges of said walls and movable to carry them to erect position in spaced parallel relation normal to said casing member, said casing member having portions scored on progressively diverging score lines and adapted to be Wrapped about said erect walls, interengaging means to hold said Walls erect and said easing in wrapped position in rigid assembly, lenses in the openings of one of said walls, and slide-holder means to receive a slide in spaced alinement with said lenses.

3. A stereoscope, comprising a casing member, a plurality of walls having projecting curved ends and supported at their edges for pivotal movement about spaced parallel hinge lines, means interconnecting the opposite edges of said walls, said walls being movable between a collapsed position flat against said casing member and an erect spaced parallel position normal to said casing member, said casing being adapted to wrap around the curved ends of the erect walls, means to interlock the erect walls and the wrapped casing in rigid assembly, openings in said walls, lenses in the openings in one wall, and slide holder means to support a slide in spaced alinement with said lenses.

4. An optical toy adapted to be distributed in collapsed condition and erected with little skill, comprising a casing blank, a plurality of hinged walls carried by and folded flat against said blank, a spacer interconnecting the free edges of said walls, and movable therewith to hold them in spaced parallel position upon erection thereof, end portions on said blank adapted to be Wrapped around the ends of said walls and overlap said spacer to form a casing, interlocking means between said blank portions and said spacer to relatively position said walls and lock the blank in encasing position, said walls having openings positioned to lie in spaced alinement on erection of said walls, and a lens in each opening of an outer Wall.

5. An optical top as defined in claim 4 with the addition of a supporting board and means thereon to engage the blank-carried interlocking means to support the toy in collapsed position on said board for distribution.

6. A collapsible optical toy, comprising a cardboard wall blank cut and scored on spaced foldV ing a portion adapted to overlie a spacer andA having scored portions adjacent thereto adapted to bend about the rounded ends of said walls, said casing and at least one of said spacers having interengaging tabs and slots cut therein and adapted to interlock said casing'with said wall' blank, said walls being provided with openings to lie in spaced alinement and lenses supported in at least some of said openings.

7. A collapsible optical toy, comprising a Wall blank scored on spaced fold lines to form a series of three walls with spacers therebetween, said blank being folded to form a wall assembly in which spacers at opposite sides of a group containing two walls lie in overlying relationship, means securing the overlying spacers together in position to locate said two walls in spaced parallel relation when erected normal to one of the spacers, the Walls of said blank having openings positioned to be alined when said walls are erect, lenses in at least some of said openings, and a casing blank adapted to be Wrapped about said erected wall assembly and secured thereto to lock said assembly in erect position.

8. An optical toy, comprising a casing blank having a center portion and projecting end portions, front and rear Walls and at least one intermediate wall hingedly carried by the center portion of the blank on spaced hinge lines extending longitudinally of the blank, said Walls having projecting curved ends, the end portions References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,024,613 Berger Apr. 30, 1912 1,097,601 Maerz May 19, 1914 1,281,746 Allen et al Oct. 15, 1918 1,655,989 Duval June 10, 1928 2,071,120 Harlow Feb. 16, 1937 2,131,444 Lateltin et al. Sept. 27, 1938 2,190,646 Branson Feb. 20, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 276,240 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1927 

